The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia plant, botanically known as Lobelia erinus L., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Laguna Blue Icexe2x80x99.
The new Lobelia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Emerald, Victoria, Australia. The new Lobelia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of two unidentified proprietary Lobelia erinus L. selections. The new Lobelia was selected by the Inventor in 1998 as a single plant within the progeny of the cross on the basis of its compact plant habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Emerald, Victoria, Australia, since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Lobelia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Laguna Blue Ice have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Laguna Blue Icexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Laguna Blue Icexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact and mounding plant habit.
2. Freely branching, dense and bushy plant form.
3. Uniform and continuous flowering.
4. Blue-colored flowers.
Plants of the cultivar Laguna Blue Ice are more compact, flower more uniformly and have lighter blue-colored flowers than plants of the parent selections. Compared to plants of the cultivar Laguna Blue, not patented, plants of the new Lobelia are more compact, more outwardly spreading and flower more uniformly.